21. Future plans

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When Aokiji said this, others could understand. A Kingdom undergoing such drastic changes in just a few years, learning even the Marine's Rokushiki technique, and mastering two forms of Haki, it's not impossible.

"~This is so scary~ What if our Vice Admiral Kuzan dies there after we pass?" Kizaru quipped, his lips curling into a sarcastic smile as he glanced at Aokiji.

"Kizaru, can you stop making those remarks? It's just a small Kingdom in the South Blue. There's nothing to worry about," Akainu replied coldly.

"Alright, let's settle it like this for now. Aokiji, let me emphasize this again you are not allowed to get involved in their internal war. Once it's over, avoid taking action unless necessary. If someone finds fault with our Marine, it could become complicated." Sengoku stressed.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand, Fleet Admiral Sengoku..." Aokiji answered lazily.

---

Meanwhile, Anos had no idea that the Marine was already aware of them. But even if he did, what could he do?

Now that he had started leading the Royal Guards, Anos was no longer concerned about others finding out.

They didn't belong to a World Government member kingdom, so they had no obligation to worry about it.

After spending years in this world, Anos had come to understand the rules well enough.

Currently, the entire Tru Kingdom is focused on extinguishing the flames of war. The only silver lining was that ever since the pirate groups were eliminated, the Roya Kingdom's progress had completely stalled, with faint signs of retreat.

In the palace, Anos sat at the head of the room, looking seriously at the people gathered below him.

Unlike before, most of those gathered were now young officials. The older generation, having served the previous king, had begun to retire, and power had been handed over to this new generation.

"Losta, can you brief us on the current state of business?" Anos asked, directing his gaze at a woman in her thirties. Wearing glasses and a formal suit, Losta exuded a graceful and elegant demeanor.

Losta stepped forward, pulling out a small notebook from her pocket. Respectfully, she began, "Your Majesty, our kingdom's main industries are perfume and textiles. Over the past two years, our perfume business has expanded globally."

"On the Grand Line, we have agents responsible for selling our products. As for textiles, we are still in the early stages of establishing global sales channels, but the results are not yet significant."

"Currently, the perfume production workforce, including flower cultivators, totals around 120,000 people. Our monthly revenue from perfume averages 5.5 billion beris, which comfortably sustains the kingdom's economy. Textile production is still nascent, yielding a net profit of 1.3 billion beris monthly, but this is just the beginning."

"For the next phase of expansion, I propose that we extend our reach beyond the Four Seas. I await your guidance, Your Majesty."

Though Anos wasn't deeply familiar with business strategies, he appreciated Losta's diligence. While listening, he mused about the economic future of the kingdom.

Although the war with the Roya Kingdom had subsided, relying solely on perfume and textiles for the economy seemed insufficient.

After a moment of thought, Anos replied, "I hadn't fully considered the scope of the perfume business before. How much inventory do we currently have?"

"Your Majesty, we have nearly one million bottles of perfume in stock, more than enough for our current market demands," Losta answered.

Perfume had become a luxury product. Expanding its global market would require significant effort, especially since most wealthy consumers were concentrated outside the kingdom.

"Ensure your ministry carefully plans for this expansion. Our kingdom's business portfolio won't be limited to just these two industries. We'll nurture business acumen among our citizens. We'll discuss the details later," Anos said.

"Your Majesty, what are your intentions regarding the next steps?" Suzu, standing nearby, asked cautiously. However, sensing the gravity of the situation, she withheld her full question.

"The Ministry of Commerce must develop a comprehensive plan, including population demographics, employment statistics, and living conditions. Also, prepare for expansion. I intend to take control of the Roya Kingdom, so we must be ready," Anos declared firmly, his words igniting a sense of purpose in the room.

Anos's announcement stunned everyone. The Roya Kingdom was far larger than Tru, yet Anos spoke of annexing it.

"Your Majesty, do you mean to declare war on the Roya Kingdom?" Losta asked hesitantly.

"What? Do you think it's impossible?" Anos replied sternly. Since a conflict had already occurred once, it was likely to happen again. He would not allow the Roya Kingdom to disrupt his plans.

Though Tru's overall strength had grown, some elements of its traditional mindset persisted, and major shifts were still needed.

"Your Majesty, I fully support your ambitions, though my capabilities are limited. I would gladly follow you into the Roya Kingdom if I could," Losta said earnestly.

Anos smiled at Losta's loyalty. It was reassuring to have someone on his side.

He had already devised a strategy before making this decision. The Roya Kingdom, having financed pirates to attack their kingdom, had revealed its weaknesses. With Tru's King's Guard now at the border, the next step was a direct invasion of Roya.

Changing an entire Kingdom's mindset, however, would be no small task.

"Losta, how much money do we have available?" Anos asked.

"Your Majesty, after accounting for essential expenditures, we have around 3 billion beris available for mobilization. This is the surplus after covering the Kingdom's living expenses," Losta reported.

Anos sat deep in thought. With 3 billion beris at his disposal, plus the nearly 2 billion in reserve funds, they had the means to finance a successful campaign.

"Losta, proceed with preparations for our takeover of the Roya Kingdom. Once we seize control, we must ensure that the Kingdom quickly stabilizes and gets back on track," Anos ordered.

"Understood, Your Majesty," Losta replied, adjusting her glasses.

"That concludes today's meeting. We'll discuss the rest later," Anos said.

As he left the palace hall, Anos headed directly to the royal garden. The tranquil environment was perfect for reflection, and more importantly, it was his private space where no one would disturb him.

Despite the serenity, Anos felt uneasy. He activated his Observation Haki to scan the area, only relaxed when he sensed no immediate threats.

The garden, more accurately described as a vast forest behind the palace, housed a large, open square. Standing in the centre, Anos's focus for the day was mastering his Devil Fruit abilities.

Since gaining his powers, he had lost his ability to touch seawater, and now he was determined to master the full potential of his Space-Space Fruit.

However, he knew it wouldn't happen overnight.

With a bit of concentration, his right hand emitted a sky-blue glow. Though the power of space manipulation eluded him, he was determined to figure it out without revealing too much to others. His greatest asset remained the mysterious system embedded within him.

Stepping into the system's virtual space, he felt a wave of security wash over him. The sci-fi design of the place gave him confidence.

"System, do you have detailed information on the abilities of the Space-Space Fruit?" Anos asked. He had come to trust the system as an omnipotent force.

Moments later, the system displayed the fruit's abilities and training methods on a panel in front of him.

The information included detailed instructions on honing the powers of the Space-Space Fruit.

The most critical revelation was that mastering the fruit's powers hinged on mental strength. In the later stages, the strength of one's mind would dictate how far the fruit's abilities could be pushed.

The Space-Space Fruit encompassed defence, attack, and movement. After awakening the fruit's powers...

However, the system didn't reveal anything about the fruit's awakened abilities, leaving Anos slightly disappointed. But the foundational training methods were enough for now.

---

On the same day, Suzu sat in the courtyard, looking at the newspaper that had just been delivered. To everyone's surprise, the headline in the newspaper was about the situation in her country.

"With the special combat techniques of the Tru Kingdom, all the pirates in Logue Town were captured..."

As Suzu read the headline and scanned the details below, fear crept over her, and sweat began to form on her forehead.

The main reason for her anxiety was Anos's previous warning: all the techniques practised by the Royal Guard were naval combat skills. If these techniques were exposed, it would most likely provoke hostility from the Marines.

And now, it was being broadcast openly in the newspaper. Suzu knew she wasn't the only one to receive this news.

After confirming the contents, Suzu hurried toward the palace.

At that moment, Anos was still focused on practising and honing his Devil Fruit abilities, unaware of the situation unfolding outside.

The entire Kingdom of Tru was now in turmoil. While the royal city remained stable, elsewhere, pirate raids and wars had not ceased. However, none of this seemed to disrupt the everyday lives of the people.

The people of the Tru Kingdom, barely scraping by through farming, had been extremely poor before. Now, they relied on two factories, which were enough to support the kingdom's living expenses.

In the past two years, these factories had not only expanded the economy within the Four Seas but had also begun to spread their influence along the Grand Line.

Furthermore, the factories stimulated the commercial economy in the surrounding areas, making the kingdom more prosperous.

The people, benefiting from the economic boost driven by these factories, had become entirely self-sufficient.

Suzu stood outside Anos's chamber in the palace until nightfall. When she finally saw Anos return, she rushed forward without hesitation.

Her face was serious, her expression tense, and she no longer resembled the calm & composed woman.

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